The SEND schools’ tour takes place each summer and this year our musicians travelled to schools in Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare, Poole and Alton. A 14-piece ensemble, made up of musicians from the BSO as well as from our BSO Resound ensemble — the world’s first professional disabled-led ensemble at the core of a major symphony orchestra — played and were conducted by Assistant Conductor, Tom Fetherstonhaugh.
BSO Associate Musician Sam Mason, who works extensively with the BSO on community and outreach work, narrated the performance and brought her signature warmth and enthusiasm to the concert. “Does anyone here like Harry Potter?” “Has anyone heard of Hedwig?”, she asks the gathered students before the ensemble embarks upon Hedwig’s Theme from the famous film.
BSO Associate Musician Sam Mason presents the concert
Using movement to signify sounds and instruments, and presenting using Makaton (a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate), Sam makes sure she walks the full length of the room to engage with as many students as possible. As the full sound of an orchestral ensemble echoes out into the summer day beyond, students dance, wave their hands and engage.
Jo Whittaker (Teacher and Head of Expressive Arts at Victoria Education Centre) said “Our students have many different needs, some of them quite complex. We teach music over the year differentiated to their needs, and introduce them to lots of different instruments and sounds. To have something like this towards the end of the academic year where they can see and hear an orchestra of this calibre together is an absolute joy to see.”
“The students got so much out of this concert. They were engaged, were dancing and singing and the hope is that the music lessons we’ve taught them over the year are reinforced by these kinds of experiences. The musicians were fantastic at interacting with the children. It was wonderful to have the BSO here and we are very grateful, any kind of live music is brilliant for our students.”
Students get to know the different instruments of the Orchestra
In addition to the music, different sections of the ensemble stand up to introduce themselves between pieces. Brass players demonstrate the buzzing sound needed to play their instruments, made with just their lips. Students also meet the woodwind, strings and percussion family, including a full demonstration of the range of the double bass from Principal No.3 Double Bass, Ben du Toit. At one point there is an eruption of ‘yay’ from a student accompanied by clapping and cheering.
Individual instruments are demonstrated for students
A moment of noticeable calm descends on the buzzing room as the ensemble plays the emotive Bring him Home from Les Misérables ,and the concert closes with a rousing performance of music from Pirates of the Caribbean accompanied by many ‘ahoys!’
Musicians and staff of the BSO with teachers from Victoria Education Centre
Kate Risdon, flautist from BSO Resound, said “You can see the response that you get to music in the room. For students who have speech, language and learning difficulties, music offers another route for communication. It’s a well-known phenomenon with important research into teaching by people such as Professor Adam Ockleford. Music seems to bypass so many communication and learning barriers and there are hidden musicians whose talents and potentials are untapped.
Music, I think, is the first thing that should be going into the curriculum, because of its fundamental power to help with so many areas and its crucial role in communicating the unspoken. This tour is super-duper important and we get such an electric response.”
The workshop and concerts at Victoria Education Centre were generously funded by John Horniman’s Children’s Trust and the Rivers Foundation.
Allianz Musical Insurance (AMI) has been Supporting Partner of BSO Resound since its formation and continues to support the BSO’s work in ensuring a creative and vibrant world of inclusive music-making
With thanks to our Music Hub partners Bristol Beacon, West of England Music Alliance, SoundStorm Music Education Agency and Hampshire Music Hub for their support with these events.